Cristiano Ronaldo pays tribute to Lionel Messi after Argentina farewell
Cristiano Ronaldo has hailed his longtime adversary Lionel Messi in a tribute to the Argentinian icon, who bid a grand farewell to international football. The Portuguese forward wrote the message in response to Messi’s social media post on Wednesday, a day after Argentina’s friendly match against Benin in Buenos Aires, where the local idol and global icon bid an emotional goodbye.
"Leo, after so many years of defending your country, you’ve made history that will last forever,” Ronaldo said in his reply to Messi’s Instagram post in which the Argentinian poured out his emotions after hanging up his boots for his country.
“I have the utmost respect for what you’ve accomplished with Argentina,” Ronaldo added, ending the message with: “A hug”.
The pair dominated the sport for more than 15 years, winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or award 13 times between them. Their rivalry grew over the nine years in which they faced off against each other in Spain, with Messi starring for Barcelona and Ronaldo for Real Madrid.
Messi, 39, announced his retirement from international football after leading his country to the World Cup final in July in the United States, where the 2022 champions were runners-up behind Spain.
“Yesterday was my last game, and I already miss wearing the blue and white. I know I’m making the right decision,” Messi said in a lengthy message a day after his final match in the famous number 10 blue and white shirt. “It’s been an incredible journey, full of joy and also some sadness, but I know for sure that every step I took was worth it.”
“Thank you to the clubs where I played, for always respecting my feelings and allowing me to dedicate myself to my country whenever it was time to put on the national team jersey.”
Messi and Ronaldo have vied for recognition as the greatest player of their generation throughout their illustrious careers. They last met on the pitch in an exhibition match in Saudi Arabia in January 2023, when they took fans back in time to the heyday of their storied rivalry, as both forwards got on the scoresheet.
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